


Takin' A Ride

by i_amthecosmos



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Louis is cranky, M/M, Oral Sex, Road Trips, Southern Stereotypes, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:29:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1854751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_amthecosmos/pseuds/i_amthecosmos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall loves the South, Harry loves meeting new people, and Louis hates sweet tea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Takin' A Ride

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday gift for janesgravity that turned out longer than a ficlet. She wanted road trip fic, so here we are. It's set in Mississippi but most places referenced are actually in Alabama. Title from the Replacements song.

“Tell me Niall, why did we decide that Mississippi was somewhere we wanted to visit?” He keeps his voice low, as the little ramshackle diner they’re in was full for lunch. Louis hadn’t even gotten his tea yet (or had any today, even), and already he hated the place.

Niall looked up from his paper menu, looking slightly confused. “It’s on the way to New Orleans? And I wanted to try this place, it’s supposed to be brilliant barbecue.” Of course, Louis thought, Niall would plan his trip around places to eat.

“Yes, and we could have taken a plane to New Orleans. Instead, you wanted to drive us all over the South. It’s _hot_ here.” Louis saw a teenage girl look over curiously and he dropped his voice to a whisper. “And how are we not going to get noticed? Come on.”

“It’ll be alright,” Harry said. He didn’t modulate his voice, and Louis rolled his eyes internally when the girl looked up again and beamed. “It’s only a few more hours.” 

“Except we have to stop at every exit because Niall wants to visit another diner-Hello darling? Come over for a picture?” Louis switched to his ‘meeting fans’ voice as the girl came over, already shaking. Harry took a picture with her, and then she got one with Louis and Niall, getting the attention of the rest of customers. Louis expected the other diners to take pictures or make a big deal, but most of them nodded and went back to their plates. The waitress looked over with a raised eyebrow, and Louis smiled at her apologetically. She smiled back, showing a gold front tooth, and came over to get their order.

“I’d like a cup of tea please,” he said to the waitress, and then frowned when she looked confused. 

“You mean a glass of sweet tea?” 

Now Louis was confused. “Um, no? Just a cup of hot tea?” 

“Ya’ll ain’t from ‘round here, are ya?” That was three voices, in unison. Louis turned around to see three large, sweaty men in trucker hats laugh hard enough to get tears in their eyes, and he wanted to kill them. Harry put a hand on his knee, rubbing it. Louis hoped nobody could see it under the booth.

“Oh no honey!” The waitress seemed slightly amused, but wasn’t openly laughing at him. “We don’t have any hot tea. We have iced sweet tea if you want some.” 

“I’ll try some,” Niall said and Harry nodded, then looked over at Louis. 

“You should try it Lou, it might be good.” 

“I don’t even put sugar in my tea. Oh all right. I’ll _try_ it.” The waitress smiled at him again, the gold tooth a contrast to her dark skin, and he smiled back, just a little. She was probably the same age as his mum, and seemed gentle. He liked her, and he didn’t much like anybody else there, aside from their fan.

“All right boys, what else do you want?” Niall went first, giving his order while Louis looked over the menu for the first time. Louis wound up ordering an open-faced pork sandwich while Harry got the chicken and Niall a combo plate of both, plus two tamales. “Got it,” the waitress said, and she took the order to the cooks, winking at Niall over her shoulder.

It wasn’t long before she came back with their tea. Louis stared at the huge glass of ice and amber liquid and squinted at it. “I don’t know about this.” 

“We’ll try it together,” Niall said, because of course he would. “You in, Haz?” 

“Yeah,” Harry said, grabbing a straw. “Let’s do it. One, two…three.”

Louis took a big gulp of the tea, and felt his eyes bug out. It was like drinking liquid sugar flavored with the ghost of what once could have been tea. He almost spat it over the table, but he managed to swallow. When he was done, he looked over at Harry, who was staring at his glass like he was trying to figure out why it was punishing him. Niall though was taking another small sip. “It’s not bad,” he said. “Just don’t drink too much at once I guess.”

“Not bad,” Louis grumbled. He avoided the tea after that, getting the waitress to get him a glass of water. It was also full of ice, but he could handle that. He looked over at Harry, who was on his phone, probably sending texts to Ben or Grimmers or somebody. Harry had a lot of friends, and Louis actually liked some of them. Then Niall made an excited noise, and their food was brought out. 

Louis had to admit it: his food was delicious. It was shredded pork on two big pieces of bread, topped with tangy sauce, with more sauce on the table. He had chips with it as well, and dipped them in the sauce too. Harry had a similar plate, but with coleslaw, and Niall was already deep into his. “This is brilliant. Best meal we’ve had so far.”

“That’s what you said at the last place,” Louis said and Niall just gave him the finger distractedly as he kept eating. Their food was gone before they knew it, and Louis went to pay at the register, and paid cash, giving the waitress a big tip. “Thanks,” he said lowly, and she beamed at him again. 

“Ya’ll nice boys. Hope you have a good trip now.” Louis nodded and turned to Niall and Harry. They were staring at a jar on the counter, and Louis had a twitch of unease, even before he went over. 

“What do they have-oh no. Harry, _no_.” 

“But I’ve never had pickled pig’s feet,” Harry said sadly, as if this was something he’d ever wanted before thirty seconds ago. Niall seemed mesmerized as well, so Louis had to physically drag them out of the place, shoving Niall into the driver’s seat. Harry pouted until they got back on the freeway.

“I swear, I can’t take you two anywhere.” They were in a hotel now, just a little crap one on the side of the freeway, and Harry was taking a shower while Niall just flipped through the channels, bored. “Pickled pig’s feet, what’s next, what if the next place has pig snouts?”

“They might,” Niall says. “I think some places barbeque those.” Louis could hear Harry laugh from the shower. 

“Oh sweet Christ, spare me.” He paced the room a little. “I can’t believe-how can you like the South, Niall? It’s hot, people are weird, and that _tea_ , I don’t even want to talk about it. Tell me one good thing about-um.” Louis came to a rather sudden halt in his rant, because Niall had sneaked up behind him and stuck a hand in his shorts. “Niall?”

 

“Louis.” That was Harry, standing in the doorway to the bathroom, naked and still wet from the shower. He crossed the room and stood in front of Louis, kissing him gently. It would have been sweet except for the water dripping from his hair and into Louis’s eyes. 

“So this is your plan for shutting me up?” Louis said, trying to keep his voice steady. It was hard to do with Niall kissing over his neck while Harry grazed his teeth over his collarbone. “Um. Yes, please continue.” Harry gave a smug little giggle, and Niall just tightened his grip on Louis’s cock, cause him to buck in his hand. 

“You’re wearing so many clothes, Louis,” Harry said, moving back enough to grab Louis’s shirt and try to pull it off. It was wet now, thanks to him, but Harry got it off with Niall’s help, and then Niall just unceremoniously shoved Louis’s shorts and pants down. 

“Get him on the bed,” Niall said, and Harry steered Louis over to the bed, lying him down and crawling on top of him, kissing at his neck. Louis watched as Niall took his kit off. He looked like he was getting a bit of a sunburn, and he had a sheen of sweat over his chest. He looked amazing, and Louis held one hand out to him. Niall grinned and walked over to the bed, curling on Louis’s side. Harry took the other, still nipping and kissing his throat. Louis moaned.

They laid there kissing for a while, Niall taking Louis’s mouth while Harry moved down to his chest. He licked over one of Louis’s nipples and Louis tangled a hand in his hair. “That’s right. Keep going, that’s…yes.” He opened his eyes in time to see Harry grin wickedly and then he slid down further, biting at Louis’s hip. “Oh fuck.”

“You feeling better about today now?” Niall didn’t wait for an answer, he just wrapping his hand around Louis’s cock, holding it at the base while Harry got his mouth over it, and Louis’s eyes rolled back in his head. “That’s it, be a good boy for us.” Niall moved his hand over Louis’s cock while Harry took as much as he could without gagging. That was a lot-Harry had a big mouth. 

“Feeling-better,” Louis gasped out, and he looked over at Niall, who was looking at him with a fond smug expression. “Come on Niall, don’t make me wait.” 

Wait for what?” Niall said and Louis just made an impatient noise and tried to pull Niall closer. “Oh, you want this.” Niall let go of Louis’s cock and moved up until his knob was right in front of Louis’s face. Louis licked up the length and Niall put a hand on the back of his neck. “That’s it, take as much as you want-ah!” Louis looked up at Niall as he sucked his cock. Harry was still between his legs and Louis heard a wrapper open. Soon Harry was pushing lube-slicked fingers into Louis’s arse, and he moaned around Niall’s cock.

“Ah that’s so fucking good,” Niall said, and his voice had already gone breathless and weak as Louis worked him over. Niall didn’t rush him, just kept hold of his neck and let Louis set the pace. Louis bobbed down until he had nearly Niall’s whole cock in his mouth, then pulled back. “Yes,” Niall said, and he sounded close.

Louis was close too. Harry was relentless, taking him down far, his fingers pressing up against his prostate, and Louis could barely stand it. He wasn’t done though, he had to get Niall off first. He went down again, until his nose was nestled in Niall’s pubic hair. “Aw fuck,” was the only warning he got, and then Niall was coming down his throat.

Louis swallowed as much as he could, blinking tears from his eyes, until Niall pulled back. “Fuck,” Niall said again, and Louis had to close his eyes because Harry had him so very close. It was too much-and then he felt Niall add his hand back to his oversensitive cock and he was coming, fisting his hands in the sheets. 

“Come on Lou, don’t fall asleep on me now.” Louis blinked his eyes and found himself on his back, sticky with his own come, and Harry next to him, staring. “You don’t have to blow me, you can just use your hands.” Harry took one of Louis’s hands, and put it down over his dick, moaning when Louis stroked him.

Harry leaned in closer, touching his tongue to Louis’s mouth while Louis jerked him off. It was just him and Harry it seemed, and just when Louis started to wonder where Niall had gotten to he felt cold lube drizzled over his hand and Harry’s cock. “There you go, that should do it.” Louis opened his eyes to glare at a smiling Niall standing over them. “What? It’ll be better now.” Louis moved his hand, twisting his wrist as he got to the top, and yeah, it was easier. Harry kissed him harder, and Louis could tell by the tenseness in his body that he was about to come. He kept moving, pumping faster, and when he broke the kiss to bite Harry’s neck, Harry made a low whimper and came. Louis watched his face, eyes wide open and looking a bit stunned. Louis stroked him through the aftershocks, and then let go, lifting his hand to his mouth. With Harry and Niall watching, he licked the come off his hand.

“That’s so hot,” Harry said faintly. 

“Sure fucking is,” Niall said, looking at Louis awestruck. Louis felt a bit smug, and licked a little bit more off. “All right,” Niall said then. “I’m going to get us a flannel. Okay?” 

“Of course,” Louis said, speaking for him and Harry because Harry was about half-asleep. Louis curled in closer to Harry, who snuffled into his neck. Louis petted the back of his neck, feeling his damp curls, and he could feel the smile Harry was making against his skin. “Niall’s gonna clean us up pumpkin,” Louis whispered in Harry’s ear, and he made a sleepy agreeing noise back. 

When Niall came back in the room, Louis was almost asleep as well, and grunted when Niall tried to pry Harry from his arms to wipe him down. “Bastards. At least let me get you washed up.” Louis opened an eye to glare at him but Niall just smiled back, sunny as always, and then dropped the flannel on the carpet and spooned in behind Louis, arms around him. Now it was too warm, the a/c not standing up to the three of them sharing a bed, and Louis almost said something.

Then Niall kissed the back of his neck and he forgot about it.

After a nap, they hit the road again, going down backstreets of a neighborhood where Niall swore there was another great place to eat. The further they went the less likely that seemed. Louis watched the houses go by in the dim twilight. They were older houses, but well-kept. An old lady watering her roses squinted at their car, and Harry waved from the back seat. She nodded in their direction and went back to it. 

“Sure you know where you’re going Niall?” Louis wasn’t afraid, nothing about the area was dangerous, but he didn’t know how it would turn out for them if they had a flat, had to get help, and then they’d be on the gossip blogs that night. So far they’d managed to keep a somewhat low profile, occasional fans in diners excepted. 

Niall stared ahead, as if trying to map it out. “I think it’s this way?” He turned to the left, and the scenery stayed about the same, quiet houses everywhere. Then directly ahead, another small house with white paint, but also with a neon sign in the window and about twenty cars parked around it.

“What’s this then?” Louis said as they parked the car and clambered out to stand in the street. The house in front of them had the door propped open and the sound of good loud music pouring out. “Um excuse me,” Louis said to a man nearby. “Where are we?” 

The man-black, about six feet tall and holding a beer-glanced down at him, and said “Ya’ll ain’t been to Charlie’s before? Come on, it’s gonna be a good show tonight.” He took a drink of his beer and walked over to where a couple of grills was going, and Louis looked back at Harry and Niall. Harry was staring at the little fairy lights in the windows, and Niall was just taking in everything. “Hey!” Louis jumped.

“Hey!” The voice shouting at them was coming from the door, and an older man with a cane waved at them. “Hey. This is my place. Two acts tonight, and it’s five dollars each cover, plus pass the hat for gas money. I ain’t seen you before, want something to drink?” Charlie eased down the steps carefully, then went over to a cooler full of beer and sodas. Niall grabbed a beer even though he was driving, and Harry just gave him a mournful look until he put it back down and got a Coke. 

Louis got a beer, and then pulled out some money to pay for them. “Naw, I can’t charge for beer, I’m not supposed to be runnin’ a nightclub, this area is supposed to be residential only. Some of my neighbors hate me for this, sayin’ it’s too noisy and people gettin’ too drunk. I only have people playing a couple of times a week, it’s not that bad.” He pointed to another donation jar. “You can throw a couple in there to cover the cost of the beer, that’s all. I’d appreciate it.”

“Thanks,” Louis said, and Charlie put a huge hand on his shoulder. It reminded him of some of their security crew, and it made him like Charlie more. Niall had disappeared inside the place, and Harry was over at a small table near the grills, talking to a tall woman with a toddler on her hip. Louis sat down by himself, and watched the sky darken. After a few minutes Harry came over with a plate for both of them, hot dogs and hamburgers with a couple of bags of crisps. Louis nibbled some of it and smiled. “This is great,” he said, meaning the place more so than the food.

“It is,” Harry said, smiling next to him, and Louis brushed his fingers over Harry’s knee before moving his hand. He could hear Niall, chattering about guitars and drums, and Harry leaned into him. Louis kept an eye out, but nobody seemed to be paying attention to them. “Niall seems really happy, I think he’s enjoyed this trip.”

“He has,” Louis said, leaving what he thought about some of it alone. 

“Louis,” Harry said, and he paused, which made Louis realize that whatever he had to say, it would be serious. “Do you ever regret it? Pulling Niall in?” Louis thought about it, how him and Harry had been happy, but something seemed to have been missing before they took a chance with Niall.

“I’ve never had a reason to regret it,” Louis said, and Harry looked grateful and relieved. Louis smiled at him, and then they heard the door slam and Niall came over to their table. “Hello Niall, want me to get you a plate?” 

“I can get one, thanks.” Niall was grinning, energized by his conversation about guitars, and Louis watched as he headed over to the food. Louis watched him. It was true, he’d never regretted letting Niall into his and Harry’s relationship. Anyone else would have complicated it, but Niall made it smoother, and he’d never be able to explain to other people how. But he did.

It was proper dark now, and they ate their food by fairy light, and the light coming in from the propped-open back door. Inside the band was warming up, and Niall finished his food first so he could run back in and see them, even though he didn’t know who they were. Louis had figured out that this was a blues venue, mainly, and it was not a genre he knew much about. But he wanted to see it too, he liked this place. “Bet Niall sits in with the band,” Louis said to Harry, and that got him a smile in return.

Soon they were inside Charlie’s house, sitting at some old wooden table as the band performed in the corner of the room, Niall sitting on a chair in the corner following along on guitar. The singer sat on a stool, beer at his feet and sang and played harmonica, stomping along to the beat the drummer. The woman Harry had been talking to earlier played bass, head bobbing. Louis looked around at the small house jammed with people, there just for the music and to have a good time. Niall looked like he was in heaven, playing with a huge grin in his face. Harry was watching the band with his full concentration, face lit up by the neon and fairy lights. 

It was late when they finally left. Charlie gave them good-bye hugs, pounding Louis’s back so hard he thought he might throw up his dinner. “Thanks for coming, might be the first time any English boys came to my place.”

“And Irish,” Niall said immediately, and Charlie grinned at him, giving him another hug.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Anyway, it was nice to have you.” Then he looked at Harry and Louis could see the wheels turning. “Mr. Niall, you said you guys were in a group. You do kinda look familiar. Did I see you on TV sometime?” 

Louis cursed the fact that they had reached the level of fame that even sixty something blues fanatics had an idea who they were. “Yeah, you probably did.”

“We were on Saturday Night Live,” Harry helpfully put in, and that got a nod from Charlie. 

“That musta been it. All right, you guys drive safe. You didn’t drink too much, did you?” They swore they hadn’t, and then they took off. Charlie’s wife, a strong-looking woman about twenty years younger than him, waved them off. 

“That was brilliant,” Niall said “Can you believe that, we told him we were on SNL, and he didn’t even care really. It’s amazing. And they let me sit in.” Niall drove slowly around the curvy roads. Charlie had warned them that the cops liked to catch people coming from his place, so they needed to be careful. 

“Yes,” Louis said. He was slightly drunk and tired, but he had to stay awake to keep Niall from falling asleep at the wheel. Harry was a lost cause, Louis could hear the snores from the back. “You know, Mississippi’s not so bad once it grows on you.” 

“Yep, reckon so,” Niall answered, and his voice was soft and fond. “I’m glad you’re having a good time, Louis.” Louis smiled softly, turning his head so Niall couldn’t see it. One the side of the road, he saw a small church building, and a sign. The sign read _Victorious Spiritual Warfare Church. Service at 11:00._ Louis blinked.

“Niall, how far away is our hotel?”


End file.
